Matthew 9:8

New International Version

When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God,who had given such authority to man.

For Encouragement

To say that Jesus is a mere mortal like we are is the greatest sacrilege of all time and the most damning. But before you pick up your stone, please hear me out.

Yes, Jesus took on humanity to step into our world. He took the sinner’s place to serve our sentence of death (Phil. 2:5-11; Rom. 3:23). Yet, He was no ordinary man. His deity never left Him. Though Jesus emptied Himself of all prerogatives as God to become our substitute on the cross, He remained fully God. He is equal in nature and essence with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.

Philippians 2:6 says, “Who, being in very nature God,” not “was in very nature, God.” Our Creator stepped into our world by taking on the very nature of a servant and shared our humanity—flesh and blood (Heb. 2:15). Yet, He remained fully God as He has been from eternity. He is the second Person in the Godhead.

To see Him as a mere man is to take away everything that enables Him to be our Savior, Sustainer, and Lord. It robs Him of His sovereignty and power. Therefore, many place Him in the category of other prophets, philosophers, sages, and teachers of this world. But Jesus towers above them all. He is in a class by Himself—fully God and fully Human. Think about it and let it sink in.

In His incarnation, Jesus did not lose His nature as Omniscient, Omnipresent, Omnipotent (Psa. 139), or His Immutability (55:19; Jas. 1:17). He remained, and still is, the only Sovereign Being who calls all things into being. He is self-sustaining (Exod. 3:14). All things come from Him, flow through Him, and end in Him (Rom. 11:33-36). He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end (Rev. 22:13). One either accepts Him for who He is or damns themselves eternally. On this point, there is no room for bargaining.

Glory to Jesus. He has opened Himself to everyone who accepts their depravity and need for salvation through His sacrifice on Calvary and resurrection (Acts 20:21). He has exchanged His righteousness for our sins (2 Cor. 5:21) and calls all to come to Him for salvation (Acts 2:21; 16:31). No wonder Jesus went straight to the core of the paralytic’s heart and dealt with his sins before dealing with his physical condition (Matt. 9:2, 6).

Though the crowd marveled at the display of His authority and power when Jesus forgave and healed the paralytic, they could not apprehend the manifestation of His glory as God (3-6). They only praised God and saw Him as a mere human. They said God has given such authority (Matt. 9:8). However, Jesus is God (Titus 2:13), not a mere human! Believe in Him as God incarnate (Matt. 1:23), see your sinfulness, repent, and ask for forgiveness. He will save you by grace through faith alone (Eph. 2:8-9).

Pray with Me

May God, the glorious Father, give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation to know Him better through Jesus. I pray this loving Father may enlighten your heart to know the extent of the hope to which He has called you in Christ, and the riches of the glorious inheritance reserved for you in Him. Know that this Jesus is now seated at the right hand of God in the heavenly realms. He is far above all rule, authority, power, and dominion, and every name that anyone invokes, now and forever (Eph. 1:17-21). Amen!  

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